TRANMERE Rovers could not shake off a couple of this season's bad habits at the County ground, but at least they overcame a worrying flaw.

Few of Tranmere's games this season have been negotiated without an embarrassing error gifting the opposition a goal or the dismissal of one of Dave Watson's players.

Here we had both. Yet in spite of the disappointment of conceding an equaliser to the home side three minutes from the end of normal time, the manager spoke afterwards with satisfaction about a good afternoon's work that maintained Tranmere's recovery from the low point of a 4-0 drubbing at Brentford a week earlier.

The most important and encouraging aspect of Saturday's performance was Tranmere's response to falling a goal behind.

More often than not the loss of the first goal has thrown the team onto the back foot psychologically and drained away confidence.

It was difficult to suppress the suspicion we were in for another tale of woe when goalkeeper Joe Murphy committed the

seventh minute error that gave Tranmere a c a l a m i t o u s start.

Rushing to beat Jo Kuffour t o a Bobby Howe through pass at the edge of his penalty area, Murphy miskicked his clearance just a few yards to the feet of Giuliano Grazioli. The Italian kept his c o m p o s u r e admirably and sidefooted the ball into the empty goal 30 yards away.

The heads did not drop this time, however. Instead Tranmere imposed their will on the game and controlled it for the rest of the half.

The striking partnership between Stuart Barlow and teenager Alex Hay looked capable of delivering a goal at any time during the first half.

Barlow, still not quite at his sharpest in front of goal, was frustrated three times by last-ditch efforts.

Hay deserved a goal and can be more than pleased with his first week's work as a senior player.

Referee Mark Cowburn was generally too fussy for everyone's taste but he did Tranmere a favour with his time-keeping at the end of the first period.

We were well into a fourth minute of injurytime after only three had been signalled when Graham Allen a r r i v e d unmarked in the Swindon penalty area to meet a rightwing corner from Mickey Mellon with a sweet first-time volley that hurtled into the net from a dozen yards.

The second half was more evenly balanced. Swindon's passing game, as nurtured by Roy Evans, wasn't as cohesive as it had been in recent games, but they gave their new manager plenty of heart and effort.

Grazioli became the second home player to be denied by the woodwork, sending a 66th-minute shot against the foot of a post from the edge of the box. Matt Heywood had put a volley against the outside of the Tranmere post in the third minute.

Even so, it was less than a surprise when Tranmere took the lead on 73 minutes.

Jason Koumas tormented Swindon's three central defenders whenever he broke from midfield, and a weak clearing header by Neil Ruddock presented the Wales' international midfielder with an opportunity to run at the red shirts again. He rode two challenges before beating Bart Griemink with a left foot shot of precision accuracy into the far corner of the net.

The single-goal advantage looked fragile in the face of a determined late assault by the home side. A fine reflex save by Murphy from a Heywood header in the 87th minute brought them only the briefest of reprieves.

A scissors kick by substitute Bertie Brayley from the resulting corner caused a goalmouth scramble which presented defender Andy Gurney with the opportunity to stab the ball home.

The dismissal of Allen in the 91st minute for a second bookable offence, and unnecessary challenge on Danny Invincible convinced Tranmere that the point they had was worth clinging on to.